Comparison

Panels vs Prologue Audiobook Player

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Panels

Enhance your comic and manga reading with a clean, customizable interface. Enjoy universal file compatibility, cross-device syncing, and advanced reading presets. Organize your library, secure your content, and import from various cloud services and local networks.

Highlights
  • Universal file compatibility (CBR, CBZ, PDF, ePUB)
  • Cross-device reading progress sync
  • iCloud Drive integration
  • Customizable reading presets
  • Right-to-left reading for manga
  • OPDS server support
  • Content security with password/Face ID
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Improve your comic reading experience with Panels. Enjoy reading your favorite titles in a clean and delightful interface, with plenty of customization and advanced features — fully DRM-free, with first-class support for OPDS, your own library, and your own files. Key features: - Universal Compatibility: Support for most common comic types: CBR, CBZ, CB7, PDF and comic ePUB (not text eBook). Support for multiple image formats, including WebP. - Cross-Device Sync: Synchronize your reading progress across iPhone, iPad and Mac and resume reading exactly where you left off. - Full iCloud Drive support: store your entire library on iCloud and access it from different devices. - Library Organization: Effortlessly manage your comic library with intuitive tools for easy navigation, custom folder colors, logos and cover images. * Themes: support for Light and Dark modes, and many others. * Reading Presets: Choose from a multitude of reading presets or create your own, including horizontal, vertical, or panel-by-panel guided view. - Right to Left reading (manga): read any comic with Panels. * OPDS support: Stream, search and download comics from your OPDS compatible server (Komga, Kavita, Codex, Ubooquity and others). * Secure your content: Keep files locked using a password or Face ID for your collections and files. Use Incognito mode to keep your reading sessions hidden. * Live Text and Subject detection. * Experimental Features: Access experimental features like panel-by-panel navigation. Panels Store — DRM-free comics from independent creators: - Browse and buy comics directly inside Panels, no extra apps or accounts. - 100% DRM-free: every purchase is yours to keep, read offline and back up. - Creators keep 80% of revenue, so your purchases directly support the people making the comics. - Purchased issues are added to your library and sync across your devices automatically. Native support for importing files from: * iCloud Drive * Dropbox * Microsoft OneDrive - Substack * OPDS: Komga, Kavita, Codex and others * Local network shared files and folders via SMB and Embedded web server - iTunes - External drives - Airdrop - Drag&Drop from other apps Page Filters: * Reduce Noise * Increase Sharpness * Reduce Moiré * Crop Borders * Require an active subscription or a one-time purchase. • You may purchase an Auto-Renewing Subscription to unlock all the premium features while it\'s active; or a one-off purchase to unlock the current major version features forever. • Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew (at the duration selected) unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Current subscription may not be cancelled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase • Read our privacy policy and terms of use: https://panels.app/privacy / https://panels.app/terms

About

Prologue Audiobook Player

This app provides a seamless audiobook listening experience for users with self-hosted libraries. It connects to Plex and Audiobookshelf, offering offline downloads, advanced playback controls, and detailed listening statistics. Enjoy your audiobooks anywhere with support for multiple Apple devices and integrations.

Highlights
  • Connects to Plex and Audiobookshelf
  • Offline audiobook downloads
  • Collections and series organization
  • Bookmarks and reading list
  • Playback statistics and history
  • Per-book playback settings
  • Sleep timer and smart rewind
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The self-hosted audiobook player for Plex and Audiobookshelf. Library - Keep your Plex and Audiobookshelf books together in one library - Browse by author, collection or series - Save books to your reading list - Download books for offline listening - Bookmark passages and add notes - Look back through your playback history, listening stats and streaks Reader - Follow the transcript as you listen, or open the book's EPUB or PDF - See the text highlighted as your book plays - Tap the text to jump to that part of the audiobook - Use ebooks from Audiobookshelf or import your own - Transcription happens on your device Playback - Adjust playback speed and save settings for each book - Set a sleep timer for a duration or the end of a chapter - Rewind automatically when you resume after a pause - Land at sentence starts when skipping or rewinding, once the audio is transcribed - Adjust the sound with Voice Boost and an equalizer Devices - Listen on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch - Download books to Apple Watch and listen without your phone - Use CarPlay, Siri, Shortcuts and widgets Prologue plays the books on your Plex or Audiobookshelf server. It doesn't sell books or come with any of its own. Free to download, with additional features behind a one-time Premium unlock. Offline listening on Apple Watch requires the separate Prologue for Apple Watch unlock. Transcription and following along with audio require a supported device and language.

Screenshots

Panels4 screens
Prologue Audiobook Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

Panels and Prologue Audiobook Player both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Prologue Audiobook Player's written reviews are positive against 70% of Panels's. Panels's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.5). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Panels sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Prologue Audiobook Player sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Panels against 4.9 for Prologue Audiobook Player. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 5.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Panels's written reviews are positive against 84% of Prologue Audiobook Player's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Panels ships an update every 8 days, Prologue Audiobook Player every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Panels versus Prologue Audiobook Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPanelsPrologue Audiobook Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (13K ratings)4.9 (5.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.3% of reviews84.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13K — better5.8K
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#207#171 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB120 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperProdukt StudioPrologue Audio Pty Ltd

Customer experience

Panels

All ratings12,528 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews1,138 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral9.5%
Negative20.2%

Prologue Audiobook Player

All ratings5,793 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews673 reviews
Positive84.4%
Neutral5.5%
Negative10.1%

User reviews

Panels

From 13K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth and responsive
  • 👍 Clean and modern UI
  • 💡 Useful features like panel view and vertical scrolling
  • 🔒 No ads in paid version
  • 👍 Good import and organization options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔒 Useful features locked behind paywall
  • 🔒 Subscription model instead of one-time purchase
  • 🐛 Issues with page navigation and zoom
  • 🐛 Problems with reading right-to-left content

Prologue Audiobook Player

From 5.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Seamless Plex integration
  • 👍 Excellent audiobook management
  • 🚀 Reliable and stable performance
  • 👍 Beautiful and intuitive UI
  • 🚀 Efficient offline listening

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional sync and playback issues
  • 🔒 Lack of family sharing support
  • 🔒 Download feature locked behind paywall

Bugs and requests

Panels

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening large files
  • Issues with page order and navigation
  • Problems with zooming and scrolling
  • Syncing and importing bugs
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to create sub-folders and nested collections
  • Automatic sorting and organization of comics
  • Option to lock reading direction
  • Double-tap to zoom functionality
  • Progress tracking and bookmarking features
Show 1 more
  • Support for more file formats like ePub

Prologue Audiobook Player

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Slide-out pane not working in latest version
  • Inconsistent behavior when removing/signing out of account

Requested features

4 requests
  • Apple Watch app
  • Improved search and filtering
  • Automatic bookmarking and sleep tracking
  • Integration with other media platforms (e.g. Jellyfin)

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Panels

Subscriptions2
  • Panels+ Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Panels+ Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time3
  • Panels 3 Upgrade$9.99
  • Panels 2$19.99
  • Panels 3$19.99
7 purchases

Prologue Audiobook Player

One-time7
  • Small tip$0.99
  • Medium tip$2.99
  • Prologue for Apple Watch$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Large tip$5.99
  • Premium (Family Upgrade)$7.99
  • Premium$9.99
  • Premium (Family)$17.99

Questions

Is Panels free?
Panels is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Prologue Audiobook Player free?
Prologue Audiobook Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Panels or Prologue Audiobook Player?
Prologue Audiobook Player is rated higher. Panels averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while Prologue Audiobook Player averages 4.9 from 5.8K ratings.
Do Panels or Prologue Audiobook Player have ads?
Neither Panels nor Prologue Audiobook Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Panels or Prologue Audiobook Player?
Panels ships an update every 8 days, and Prologue Audiobook Player every 5 days. Most recently, Panels was updated on October 20, 2026 and Prologue Audiobook Player on October 19, 2026.
Which is more popular, Panels or Prologue Audiobook Player?
Panels currently peaks at #207 in the App Store charts, and Prologue Audiobook Player at #171. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons